[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2913 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2913
To establish a demonstration project to train unemployed workers for
employment as health care professionals, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 7, 2004
Mr. Feingold introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a demonstration project to train unemployed workers for
employment as health care professionals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Community-Based Health Care
Retraining Act''.
SEC. 2. HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C.
2916) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Health Professions Training Demonstration Project.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Covered community.--The term `covered
community' means a community or region that--
``(i) has experienced a significant
percentage decline in positions in the
manufacturing or service sectors; and
``(ii)(I) is eligible for designation under
section 332 of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 254e) as a health professional
shortage area;
``(II) is eligible to be served by a health
center under section 330 or a grantee under
section 330(h) (relating to homeless
individuals) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 254b, 254b(h));
``(III) has a shortage of personal health
services, as determined under criteria issued
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services
under section 1861(aa)(2) of the Social
Security Act (relating to rural health clinics)
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(2)); or
``(IV) is designated by a Governor (in
consultation with the medical community) as a
shortage area or medically underserved
community.
``(B) Covered worker.--The term `covered worker'
means an individual who--
``(i)(I) has been terminated or laid off,
or who has received a notice of termination or
layoff, from employment in a manufacturing or
service sector;
``(II)(aa) is eligible for or has exhausted
entitlement to unemployment compensation; or
``(bb) has been employed for a duration
sufficient to demonstrate, to the appropriate
entity at a one-stop center referred to in
section 134(c), attachment to the workforce,
but is not eligible for unemployment
compensation due to insufficient earnings or
having performed services for an employer that
were not covered under a State unemployment
compensation law; and
``(III) is unlikely to return to a previous
industry or occupation; or
``(ii)(I) has been terminated or laid off,
or has received a notice of termination or
layoff, from employment in a manufacturing or
service sector as a result of any permanent
closure of, or any substantial layoff at, a
plant, facility, or enterprise; or
``(II) is employed in a manufacturing or
service sector at a facility at which the
employer has made a general announcement that
such facility will close within 180 days.
``(C) Health care professional.--The term `health
care professional'--
``(i) means an individual who is involved
with--
``(I) the delivery of health care
services, or related services,
pertaining to--
``(aa) the identification,
evaluation, and prevention of
diseases, disorders, or
injuries; or
``(bb) home-based or
community-based long-term care;
``(II) the delivery of dietary and
nutrition services; or
``(III) rehabilitation and health
systems management; and
``(ii) includes nurses, home health aides,
nursing assistants, physician assistants,
dental hygienists, diagnostic medical
sonographers, dietitians, medical
technologists, occupational therapists,
physical therapists, radiographers, respiratory
therapists, emergency medical service
technicians, and speech-language pathologists.
``(2) Establishment of project.--In accordance with
subsection (b), the Secretary shall establish and carry out a
health professions training demonstration project.
``(3) Grants.--In carrying out the project, the Secretary,
after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, shall make grants to eligible entities to enable the
entities to carry out programs in covered communities to train
covered workers for employment as health care professionals.
The Secretary shall make each grant in an amount of not less
than $100,000 and not more than $500,000.
``(4) Eligible entities.--Notwithstanding subsection
(b)(2)(B), to be eligible to receive a grant under this
subsection to carry out a program in a covered community, an entity
shall be a partnership that is--
``(A) under the direction of a local workforce
investment board established under section 117 that is
serving the covered community; and
``(B) composed of members serving the covered
community, such as--
``(i) a community college;
``(ii) a vocational or technical school;
``(iii) a health clinic or hospital;
``(iv) a home-based or community-based
long-term care facility or program; or
``(v) a health care facility administered
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(5) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this subsection, an entity shall submit an application to
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including, at a
minimum--
``(A) a proposal to use the grant funds to
establish or expand a training program in order to
train covered workers for employment as health care
professionals or paraprofessionals;
``(B) information demonstrating the need for the
training and support services to be provided through
the program;
``(C) information describing the manner in which
the entity will expend the grant funds, and the
activities to be carried out with the funds; and
``(D) information demonstrating that the entity
meets the requirements of paragraph (4).
``(6) Selection.--In making grants under paragraph (3), the
Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, shall select--
``(A) eligible entities submitting applications
that meet such criteria as the Secretary of Labor
determines to be appropriate; and
``(B) among such entities, the eligible entities
serving the covered communities with the greatest need
for the grants and the greatest potential to benefit
from the grants.
``(7) Use of funds.--
``(A) In General.--An entity that receives a grant
under this subsection shall use the funds made
available through the grant for training and support
services that meet the needs described in the
application submitted under paragraph (5), which may
include--
``(i) increasing capacity at an educational
institution or training center to train
individuals for employment as health
professionals, such as by--
``(I) expanding a facility, subject
to subparagraph (B);
``(II) expanding course offerings;
``(III) hiring faculty;
``(IV) providing a student loan
repayment program for the faculty;
``(V) establishing or expanding
clinical education opportunities;
``(VI) purchasing equipment, such
as computers, books, clinical supplies,
or a patient simulator; or
``(VII) conducting recruitment; or
``(ii) providing support services for
covered workers participating in the training,
such as--
``(I) providing tuition assistance;
``(II) establishing or expanding
distance education programs;
``(III) providing transportation
assistance; or
``(IV) providing child care.
``(B) Limitation.--To be eligible to use the funds
to expand a facility, the eligible entity shall
demonstrate to the Secretary in an application
submitted under paragraph (5) that the entity can
increase the capacity described in subparagraph (A)(i)
only by expanding the facility.
``(8) Funding.--Of the amounts appropriated to, and
available at the discretion of, the Secretary or the Secretary
of Health and Human Services for programmatic and
administrative expenditures, a total of $25,000,000 shall be
used to establish and carry out the demonstration project
described in paragraph (2) in accordance with this
subsection.''.
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